


Three Blind Mice - a story by Chloe Price

by Llwellyn



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: A Battlecry, Aaron Price is a racist, Abigail Marsh (sort of), An Important Diagram, Bam!, Beatrix Potter - Freeform, Bittersweet Ending, Caring, Chloe Eats 40 Bowls Of Rice, Chloe Is A Trendsetter, Chloe Is All Mature And Shit, Chloe Learns Fancy New Words, Chloe Pines For Max, Chloe Price Lives, Chloe Price Narrator, Chloe The Human, Chloe is Angry, Coffee, Dad joke, Delirium, Des/Desi (a mouse), F/F, Falling In Love, Fever, Fever Dreams, Fluff, G.A.S, Hot Scientists (mentioned), Humor, In-YOUR-endo, Innuendo, Insert Groan Here, Justin (mentioned) - Freeform, Kate Helps Chloe Use Fancy Words, Kate Illustrates Chloes Story, Latreens Niece Is A Really Nice Girl, Lenny (a mouse), Lesbian Chloe Price, Love, Major character death - Freeform, Max Caulfield Is Missing, Mice Are Not Anti-Semitic, Mice Can't Throw Up, More And Less Obscure References, Nathan Prescott (frozen), One Side Of The Conversation, Over Here - Freeform, Pain, Rambling Narrator, Skip Tags To Avoid Spoilers, Spirit Animals, Squirrel With Jazz Cigarettes, Talking Animals, The Narrator Very Likely Has ADHD, The Tobanga, The Voice, Three Blind Micee, Time Fuckery, Two Guard Foxes, chloe is sad, immature jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:27:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 7,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28928784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Llwellyn/pseuds/Llwellyn
Summary: Chloe and Max had decided to sacrifice Chloe for some godforsaken reason. But.When time rewoundChloe was drawn intothe timestream too!Only to arrive in the bathroomon her own, with no Max.Oh and time has stopped and she has arrived on the eve of waramong talking animals and time-frozen humans.Chloe tells us the story, with the help of Kate.Chloe is a very reliable and coherent narrator.In her own mind.
Relationships: Kate Marsh/Chloe Price, Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Three Blind Mice**

**A Prologue**

_Because all great stories have prologues._

  
  


Imagine that classic dark voice from the old movie trailers saying the following: 

_Some say time is an arrow._

  
  


Or just imagine me saying the following: 

_**Some say time is a river.** _

I mean both work right? Because it’s both. And people do say those things. Sometimes even with dramatic voices. Then again some professors say “Time’s just one of those things, you know?”. But those girls are just scientists and what do scientists know? I mean sure, a lot, but like how do they say it? Not like old trailer guy. You know that voice? Sounds like everything is awesome and also he really needs to go? That guy?

...I’ll ask Kate.

_**KATE, WHAT’S THE NAME OF THAT OLD-TRAILER-GUY? No, it’s out of batteries. Sure you are. Please? Really? Weird. Thanks.**_

So his name _is_ The Voice Thunder Throat The Voice God. That’s a mouthful. Sorry. Dad would have loved that joke.

Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if it was his given name? Thunder Throat Voice God the Third. Some luck. Anyway, cool voice. Also sounds like he really needs to poop. Trailer guys should be named Hank, or Joey or Frank.

Where was I?  
  
Oh yeah. Time.

I like the river version. Time just flowing along in that weird S-shape rivers like to make. Every swirl is five times longer than the width of the river. That’s a fact, I looked it up on wikipedia. Then I changed the fact to mess with you. Because I’m Chloe The Chrononaut with a license to do whatever the fuck I want. Full honesty though, Max’s the real chrononaut. It means time traveller, but doesn’t it sound way cooler with chrononaut? I’m an accidental chrononaut, sort of _because_ she’s my best friend and she wouldn’t be a chrononaut without me, so shut up.

Anyway the analogy. The water thingy. It is _flawless_. It is! Kate said to use “analogy” so I guess that’s right. It sounds wrong. Anal-olology. Heh. Kate’s not a chrononaut, but she is a good friend. She says I shouldn’t say that she said what I should say when she tells me to tell you what she told me to tell you. Because breaking the fifth wall isn’t a thing blah blah, something something.

Whatever. Her rabbit isn’t a thing. 

_**Sorry Alice I didn’t mean that, you totally are a thing, the cutesiest, fluffiest thing, promise!** _

So, yeah, um, time is swirly river-thing, with measurements and stuff and you can never step on the same water twice. In it? On it? Whatever. Or the same time twice. Ipso Facto a big nope on the time travel. 

Or so they say. They are wrong of course, but how would they know, they’re only smart scientists, doing hot science and stuff... and that’s good, they’re nice. Go them… ...hmm, mm...

_**Yes, what Kate?! What is it? Well I obviously lost my lab coats, my trains of thoughts, I mean my train of thought! Am not! I am not “daydreaming”. I’m thinking about science, if you have to know (which is a really big distraction). I know you think you’re helping right now, but you’re not.**_

What was I saying? Oh yeah, Ipso Facto. That’s an old british punk band from like 2008. So the science ba- scien _-tists_ say time is “...just this thing, you know?”. And I almost agree with them for a hot second. Curse their seductive science. But they know nothing.

Getting distracted again. Bad Chloe.

_**Are you going for coffee? Get me some? THAANKS.**_

Kate’s awesome.

Soo. Anyway... Time is a long wave-y, swirly multidimensional water highway. And Max is out on those waters right now. ( _right then?_ ). She’s lost but she’s trying to get home, she is _almost_ out of time. _I don’t even know if there is any time left for her to_ be _in_. And I’m not tired and I’m not crying. And not having her here just sucks monkey balls. She’s my friend, did I mention that? My best friend.

Well the prologue is almost done. Let’s end it with a helpful recap of the story not far:

Max is awol and I’m about to get shot and die. In a bathroom. _Again_ .

And an army of cute animals is going to war.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

_Where a bathroom is central._

  
  


So. Max is lost in time. Max is my friend. She is my friend, my friend she is. We have known each other basically our whole lives. But it feels like more. A lot more. If she stays away much longer I’ll make her walk the plank. 

We always played pirates, when we were kids. She’d probably be fine with walking the plank. She probably knows I’d be right there behind her. 

I just want her back you know? I miss her voice and erm, her freckles.

Not the point. Not helping. Not helping.

I’m getting her back though. 

There is _no_ question, _no_ maybe. 

I’m gonna get her back. 

I’ll get her back and then, I’ll tell her. And she will know. Just - she'll know. I don’t wanna talk about it. I’m getting her back.

So yeah, we’ll walk the plank. And, umm, have picnics, eat pirate pie we’ve stolen and have those british finger sandwiches and other diuerse colonial booty. Or just I don’t know, kiss or something. You can’t see it but I wiggled my eyebrows a _lot_ there. 

She would insert a groan here.

 _**Kate?! We were doing a time metaphor… ...thing ...right?**_ _**But after that? Was it something about Max? Or the bathroom? D**_ _ **o you remember what I was saying Kate? Kate?! KAATE?!** _

Why isn’t she answering? Oh yeah, she went for coffee in the prologue. So let’s see, time was, is... time is a… 

Fuck. I’m super tired. Kate still isn’t back, so I guess I’ll do this on my own. Fine. I’m up and awake and all cried out, so let’s set the stage:

 _Time might be a river, but this here is definitely a frozen fountain_. 

The frozen fountain is in front of a highschool. It's not cold, it's frozen because time has stopped. I know, weird. There’s a dude frozen in the fountain, but he was frozen _before_ time stopped. He wasn’t always, but he was cursed by a witch! 

Nah, I’m just messing with you. He’s a statue. It's a statue of a dude with an excellent dream of bringing excellence to the future. Oh, you don’t get the reference? It’s from a classic movie. Look it up. 

Ok, truth is, I just saw it for the first time myself, but anyway.

Anyway...what's that smell? 

...coffee?!

 _**Hell YES! Oh, Kate you are an archangel! I don’t know. Uriel? Well** _ **you** ****_**asked.** _

_**Arr, ‘tis the black gold! Hot and bitter, just like me. For this, just this once, I won’t even make fun of tea. I know, very magnanimous. I’m the magnanimator.**_

_**And you, truly are, the awesomest.** _

_**...can you read this last part? What do you think? Really? Ok. Ok. Yeah that works. Ok. thanks. And for the coffee.**_

Anyway, I was saying something. Not important. It will come back to me.

So. Fountain. Frozen. 

In front of Blackhell High. 

I’ve slightly altered the name to protect the innocent… Nah, I just hate it. It’s a shit place, because, well they kicked _me_ out - me! Excellent, most bodacious _me (_ did I mention I'm awesome?). And yes, I just referenced that same classic movie again. Yes the one I just watched. Keep up. Max told me to watch it, it's called “Bill and Ted”. She said "It's a classic!" It was pretty good actually. 

I don’t trust her movie recommendations anymore, not after “Spirits Within”.

Anyhow, In lieu of attending school (yes, lieu, what? I read. Also yes, I looked a word up, to be fancy). 

[insert raspberry] 

In _lieu_ of attending Blackhell I made myself famous as a dastardly dragon fighting dyke. I had a _slew_ of lady suitors. Yup. Had to beat them off with a stick. 

_**I HEARD THAT GIGGLE KATE!**_

Yes, sorry, I confess, that was a fib. I was beating them off with a _bat!_ No, wait – it was a _SWARM OF BATS!_ Really, it _was_. When I say dragons I mean idiots. And when I say dastardly I mean, I don’t know, look it up. But yesh, dragon-dyke extraordinaire; awesomeness personified. Of course.

And I _still_ found time to hang out with all my tons of friends.

The last sentence was partly sarcasm. Look it up.

So it’s kind of ironic, I guess, that I, at this moment, am at school again. 

Frozen in time in the girls’ bathroom, granted, but still at school. And what’s worse, I’m just about to be shot in the chest by an entitled rich douche with daddy issues. Yeah, I’m talking to you - but _another_ _also-me_ is _there_ , frozen in the _penultimate_ second of her-my life. 

AT THE SAME TIME! 

I know, right? Drama. I kind of like drama. Not so much getting shot. Not a fan. So, the me about to get shot in the bathroom (and the stomach) isn’t _me_ me, at least I don’t think so. I hope not.

That frozen girl hasn’t spent a week with her childhood, um, friend. Or hasn’t yet.

 _Me_ me, is hanging out with Kate and talking to you. Sometimes her sister Abby comes by too. 

Right now we are at her place eating snickerdoodles. But now she’s saying it’s _not_ snickerdoodles, but I don’t care one _whit_ . ‘Cause I like saying snicker doodles. Snickerdoodles. I also like saying _whit._ It’s her own fault, really. Exposing me to cultshure and whatnot.

_**Whit. Snickerdoodle. To whit - a snickerdoodle! You laughed. Did too. Well, snickered then.**_

Now if bathroom-time was to unfreeze, several things could happen. Bathroom-me would likely get shot, and die momentarily (I think that word fits) on a surprisingly clean bathroom floor. This has happened before. Yes, I’ve died at least once before, tell you later. I got better.

 _**Well of course it’s humor! Haven’t you heard? It heals all wounds? I’m not “laughing it off”. I’m riffing off of Monty Python. Yeah ok, I’ll serious it up for you. Ok, for me. Whatever.** _ _**As long as it gets you off my back.** _ _**I didn’t say anything!**_

Where was I? Oh yeah get shot. Bleed out. Die. Bla blah.

And then! By a weird stroke of luck, my… 

_**KATE? Isn’t there a word for “we had been apart and didn’t know each other anymore?” Thanks.** _

...my _**estranged**_ childhood friend would have returned; I’m bleeding out, fading away, shedding my earthly coil - in short I'm Miss Soondead with a serious case of gonnabite-is! 

And behind the bathroom stalls is she. Her. And she, um… she has… umm... well she’s there! 

She was gone five years. And now she's here. She left when I needed her. When I needed her the most. When dad… And I was so angry. For so long. Fuck...

_**Yeah. Yes. No. Yeah. Yeah I do. Thanks. Yeah, no. Yeah. Ok. Yeah it’s ok.** _

…

_**Maybe I’ll do this later? No, yeah. I can try. I, maybe I’m just hungry.** _

_**Thanks. Yeah I didn’t realise. [laughter] Ok, just a bit more.**_

_**What’s a fancy word for it was lucky she was there? Ok. Thanks. Yeah, you too.**_

So yeah, she’s _**serendipitously** _returned to Arcadia Bay (this town), some time earlier and she is now standing behind the stalls. 

“How does that change anything?” I hear you ask, “You’re still dead, right?”

You would think so. But no, this is where things get _interesting_.

Destiny (or something) chose that exact moment to give Max a reeally helpful super power. 

The power to rewind time.

How do I know this? Because she saved me. Because she used her super power to rewind time to save me. Me. I guess I really _know_ know it because later she told me about it. That’s probably the main reason.

I died a lot that week. I want to think it was seeing me in trouble that kick-started her ability. In a way I hope so. In a way. In a gay way. Because I’m secretly (?) super gay for her. Like, I have it bad. 

I don’t know for sure if she feels the same way. Back then, in the bathroom she didn’t even recognise me. Did I mention the estranged part? To her I would only have been this extremely hot, distressed lady in distress. 

[insert swoon]. 

I would be _sort of_ okay if that was what did it for her:

“Wowser, check out that super hot lady in distress!” And BAM! She can reverse time!

An extreme ego-boost. Better than nothing right? Heh. So - she saved me. She saves me, and then she just keeps on saving me, like a lot. 

For a week. 

A wonderful, awesome, horrible, awful, fantastic week. 

So why then are we back in this moment? Why am I still about to die in the bathroom? Good question dude. 

And I have a perfectly good answer. Actually no, no I don’t. I don’t know how or why.

Last time the saving me seemed to be what brought (Brings? Will bring? Gah.) a very angry super tornado to A.B. that killed like a _lot_ of idiots and also my mother. I thought it was me surviving what did it (and I probably thought _that_ because - not big on the self-love). 

And Max thought that _she_ caused it because she kept asking _a lot_ of people “Am I bad? Am I a bad person? Am I a dangerous evil god?”, stuff like that, I’m paraphrasing, but not a lot. ...aand if you keep asking people if you suck, in the end _someone’_ s bound to answer “Why yes, yes you do, you do suck.” if just to shut you up. And stupid cute Max bought it. 

Soo, in a combination of Max being the cutest of all the insecure time goddesses with savior complexes and me being uncharacteristically public-spirited _and_ seriously lacking in the self-worth department...

_**Insightful aren’t I?!**_

Now Kate's smiling at me and I, I've obviously got something in my eye. And now I’m _blushing_ because she said something nice about me that I won’t repeat. She is evil like that. 

[sticks tongue out at Kate]

So. Yeh. Hrmph. 

Where was I? Yesh, public spirited. Well. So. I asked Max to go back to the herenow and _not_ save me; that is, she would go _back here_ , at this point in time, and this time she would _let me die._ Let me die - and by doing so save mom, the town and a bunch of dicks. 

But something went wrong. 

I was holding Max. 

She took out the butterfly photo... 

(it's the return-to-the-bathroom-ticket, long story (time powers, yay!)). 

...and I got dragged along! 

One minute we’re both looking at the big blue Morpho butterfly to activate her photo jumping time travel power. Did I mention that? Anyway. It’s another power she has. Another thing. A thing she can do. 

Dog she’s awesome…

Yeah, so she took me with her. Not the plan. Reality starts to blur, I feel like I am moving in several directions at once, and another odd thing - I can smell cinnamon. I must ask Max about that when I see her next time.

Does it always smells like that? Heh. Cinnabun Time Travel bureau! All aboard! Max will laugh at that. 

We could mix in our pirate persons too: Long Max Silver and Captain Bluebeard’s Cinnabun Time Travel Company Ltd.

Fuck. I’m not crying. I’m not. 

_**Fuck! Fucking fuck it! Fuck you Max. Fuck Time Travel. Fuck every-fucking-thing about all this fucking fuckery! Sorry for the swearing! OK! Thanks. Sorry anyway!**_

Now I’m really crying and I hate you Max. I hate you so much. I love you. Fuck you for leaving me again.

_**Yeah, no, I’m fine now. Yes I promise. I am. I’ll just do a bit more, then I’ll take a break, yes I promise, just a short bit. Ok, fine, now. I really am fine. Ok I will. Yeah, it’s ok. Yeah I can. Can you make us some chocolate? Thanks.** _

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

_In which our hero makes an acquaintance._

  
  


So my Max, my I-really-want-her-to-be-my-girlfriend Max is supposed to arrive in the bathroom at the precise moment to _not save me_. Which I do resent a little, even if it _was_ my idea. 

Damn. 

I’m so totally in love with her it’s not even funny, and I haven’t told her. I haven’t told her that. And that sucks. It just sucks. It sucks monkey balls.

_**Yeah, I’m fine.**_

Anyway, thing is, turns out she’s not there. Or here. Or now. Or then. 

But suddenly _I am._ For a second I hear a really loud part of my argument with Dickscott (the guy who’s about to shoot me). And then I _arrive._

On reflex I jump out from behind the stalls, I can’t help myself from jumping out at Nathan (Dickscott). 

[barf] 

Aand it turns out I _literally_ can’t help myself. I try to tackle him - it's like running into a statue, he's like a statue. Frozen in time. 

He is frozen and so is the other version of me, in the middle of the argument. 

So I’m standing there, giving my frozen self the once over, realising that even frozen I _am_ pretty hot. 

Or maybe I'm freaking out over the _total mindfuck_ of it. One of those. Time isn’t moving, and everything is really quiet. 

Suddenly there’s a small rustling noise comes from behind the stalls. 

I call out “Max!”, thinking she’s here now, and everything’s right with the world. That she just glitched, had a tiny time-delay time travel. But no everything’s not alright. .

I’m expecting Max - when a small, _really small,_ figure appears from behind the stalls.

Looking down I see who it is. I see _what_ it is. 

It’s a mouse. 

On it’s hind legs.

Wearing fatigues. 

But the really surprising part comes when it looks at me, also-me and Sporty-jacket-mcDickerson. 

The mouse looks me straight in the eyes. And speaks:

“Well this isn’t good.”

_No shit Basil._

Eloquent as ever I manage to spit out “What?!”

“You can speak!” says the mouse.

“What?!”

“And you move!" says the mouse.

“What?!”

“And there’s two of you!” says the mouse.

“What?!”

“But you can't be! You’re not the time traveller!” says the mouse.

Somehow I automatically reply:

“Duh, no! Obvs. I mean no. No I’m not. My gir… my friend is the time traveller. I’m just her… ...companion.”

I cringe at the “obvs” (who says that?), then cringe again at the word _just_.

“This is shaping up to be a weird ratking day.” 

SAYS THE MOUSE!

And continues: 

“We were expecting, well Gir I guess. If that’s her name. That version of you doesn’t move.” it's pointing at the time-frozen copy of me.

Still in shock I grasp at snark, instead of correcting it or anything...

“Anyone told you you’re really observant?”

“Funny. Well, welcome to the war then. I’m Lenny.” Lenny says.

He smiles and stretches out a tiny callused paw.

I shake it gingerly.

"Chloe."

“Hokay. Let’s see about getting _you_ some food.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

_In which our hero eats 40 bowls of rice._

  
  


We’re standing in the hallway. Lenny’s promise of food makes my stomach rumble, but all I can think is: _Where the fox is Max?_ Lenny picks up a walkie; 

“The time-traveler is still late. False alarm. Over.” 

He goes on, I zone out. Looking through the glass doors I realise why I thought “ _where the fox is Max” a_ nd not “ _where the fuck is Max”?_ There are two heavily armed fox guards outside. They’re having a smoke and sharing what looks like a bunch of grapes.

I stare at them, and for some reason I think _Those grapes look sweet!_

I’m standing next to a talking mouse. Yep, that’s a thing that’s happening. And the parable of the paramilitary predators are at the door. 

_**What do you mean not a parable? But I want the rhyme. What do you mean it’s not a rhyme? I’m keeping it. Well you’re a fable. Your mom’s a fable. Whatever. Sorry about the mom thing.**_

Lenny scratches at his battle fatigues. He holds the walkie 

away from his ear and speaks into it.

“Yeah, another thing… What? FINE, stop screaming. Over and out.”

Lenny looks up at me. 

“Ok, I’ll take you to see… sorry, your name’s Chloe right?”

“Chloe, yeah, what?” I manage.

“Ok, Chloe, first food, then Sally.” he yawns “sorry, haven’t slept. You ok?”

Can’t think of _anything_ to say, so I just nod and follow him as he starts walking..

“Um.. Who is Sally?”

“… yeah, no, of course, no reason you should know that. Sorry, ok, Sally is sort of the head honcho around here. Not a general though.

“She’s, well – Sally. It’s a bit hard to human-splain her. We all listen to Sally. You know?”

“She can see clearer and reason sharper than any of us. And she knows things. She is a mole of course, they’re a clever kind. I mean. Umm. I didn’t mean that in a racist way or anything. You don’t have to be wise just because your a mole.” he sounds just like my uncle Aaron.

“Umm…” I trail off.

We walk over the school grounds, a lot stuff is going on. It really is an army… with, umm, army stuff going on, army stuff done by a lot of…

_**Kate! What’s the word for “animals sort of behaving like humans and talking and stuff”? Really? Ok, sweet!**_

...a lot of these _**anthropomorphic** _animals in fatigues, though some are wearing normal clothes. Tiny normal clothes. Yup. Normal. A rat in skinny jeans, a gopher in a hoodie... 

It’s Beatrix Potter meets Apocalypse Now. 

_**It’s NOT an obscure reference! Whatever. I’m keeping it. No you are. Well you are.**_

The mess tent is bustling. Still in shock I eat the first of many, veery tiny, obviously vegan, casseroles. At the next table over three mice in black sunglasses are talking loud enough for me to hear. Lenny is writing something in a scratch pad.

“If you don’t get it right this time, sarge will put you on Latreen duty.” says the tallest mouse.

“And she’s not in a good mood.” says the middle-sized mouse.

“Is she ever. The old magpie...” says the shortest mouse.

Then all three immediately say “BUT HER NIECE IS SUCH A NICE GIRL” all three laugh. 

Lenny looks up from his scribbling pad.

I lean over and ask him “Who’s Latreen?”

“She’s a civilian. There are a few. Doing this and that, Latreen is a bit old for this, but she’s got no one to take care of her. So what can you do.”

I agree with some mumbling, my mouth full of forty bowls of rice.

So I’m not gonna die _right this minute_ . Check. Dunno if there even is a minute to die _in_. So. Just go with it? I guess. It’s trippy. And trippy how organized they are. Food stations, showers, porta-potties, rooms for meetings. Even a small stage, with speakers, floodlights, the works. They’re like scouts, or a well planned (oxymoron) punk festival or, well. An army. 

Probably the last one. Cutest army ever. They probably wouldn’t like it if you said so...

All napkins are tiny-animal-size, so I wipe my hands on my pants as we leave to find Sally.

Who is a mole.

Max would love this! She’d have a field day with her polaroid camera! 

A lot manages to happen on the short walk from the mess to the girls dormitory. It feels longer than usual. Time being screwy. And Lenny stopping every few feet to say hi to other soldiers along the way, that doesn't help. 

_**Kate, do ya think this part works? I know that. I know that also. You think so? Yeah? Thanks. Thanks Katie.**_

Damn it Max, you would love this! Where are you? I can just see you taking a shitload of pictures of these cute speaking animals. 

These perfectly normal animal-persons. 

By chance we actually walk past Latreen, and yes, she is (of course) an _actual_ magpie. And she _really_ does talk about her niece. A lot. 

There are degrees to how soldier-y they are, like Lenny said, civilians too. They do whatever they can with other stuff, like cooking or, I hear someone planning a game night! I also find out that there were other animals that would have been here, like the snakes and some other animals. Some of the bears had had a draft - most of _them_ had caught a cold and couldn’t come. 

_The Glorious Assorted Army_. 

Or GAS for short. 

Yup, the TLA is GAS. Uh-muh.

They’ve apparently been at the “hurry up and wait” stage for a while now.

We pass a mouse with blue hair on the top of her head. I approve.

It shouts at Lenny 

“Hey gramps!” 

“Des.” Lenny makes a face at her “I’m ONE year older than you.”

“Whatever, _geezer.”_ she backs away, flipping him two birds.

It feels like looking through a mirror. 

Lenny: “Cute.”

Des: “I do try.”

A tiny mouse sized mirror.

They both grin. Lenny starts walking again, I follow him. Des tags along.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 3 ¾**

_Where the blazes are..._

  
  


“Hi Dave.”

Ey, Des! Lenny! What’s up? Who’s the human? You look tired.”. 

Is what Dave says. 

Dave the squirrel. 

I don’t know why, but I keep getting surprised. This time it’s because Dave is smoking, and because the smoke smells like lilacs and coffee and leather.

This week… Did _not_ see things getting even weirder. But. 

_Dave the blazing squirrel._

“Just bored, Dave.” Des says.

Lenny adds “I’m bringing the human to Sally. Her friend is Gir - the Time Traveller.” Lenny offers.

“Gir? Huh. Odd name.”

I’m about to explain but is cut off by a cloud from Dave -

"It feels odd _waiting_ for a time-traveler, how can you even wait, when there’s no time?”

“Yes Dave, you’re sure right about that one, Dave.” a sigh comes from Lenny.

There’s a bit of an awkward silence.

“Hey Dave… do you remember last time we all helped out? The entire team? Oh, wait you weren’t there, were you Dave?” Des looks at Dave. _The blazing squirrel._

The red and brown fur on Dave’s cheeks gets redder. And hides his face behind a bushy tail. “Ah fo sm wd by Jstn.” he mumbles.

I can’t help but laugh, since I somehow understand exactly what he just said. But of course I do, of course I understand that a squirrel named Dave scored weed off Justin.

“What was that?” Des squeaks at him. 

I whisper the truth to Lenny. 

“Easy Des. Let it slide.” Lenny tells her. “I know what he did. It’s all good.” she looks from Lenny to me, to Lenny again.

“Fine. Whatever.” 

Mirror. Mouse-sized.

Des huffs and marches away, heading for the mess tent. 

Lenny looks at her leaving until she’s gone. 

“She’s a good soldier. A bit of a chip on her shoulder, but a good soldier.” He’s quiet for a good long time. Then he sighs. 

From nowhere he says “I love her, you know.” and starts walking.

I suddenly feel very tired. Like no strength left. And there’s something in my throat.

_**Kate. I don’t know how. Just, you know, how. Well it isn’t. Well it DOESN’T. Sorry. Sorry. I’m sorry for raising my voice. I’m sorry.**_

“Thanks, Chloe The Human” 

I realise Dave is speaking to me.

“What? Oh. Sure, don’t mention it.” “Wait, does everybody

know who I am?”

“Word gets around. Anyway thanks.”

“You’re welcome, and hey it’s just ‘Chloe’.”

“Oh, well then, thanks Chloe.”

“Sure” I start walking but stop and turn my head “and hey…”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t take _all_ his weed, right? He’ll need some when he unfreezes.”

I walk faster to catch up with Lenny.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 4**

_In which we find the mole._

  
  


_**Are** _ **you** _**okay with this part Kate? Yes, ok fine, I know you are. Is it okay if I worry anyway? Uh-uh, you are. Well you are. You are.** _

  
  


Ok, so a lot of what’s next is me guessing, and some of it is stuff Sally told me after the war, anyway I’ll just tell it, it’s easier.

At one point there was a thermos with some tea in it. It was standing on the ledge. 

The mole was there too. She was looking out over her demesne. 

That’s a weird word, she thought, tasting it. Demesne. 

It wasn’t the right word, but you know, kind of, because it _was_ her responsibility. 

It was a staging area. Where it’s all about to end-begin. Or was it/will it? 

_Is_ it all about to be going to have has happened? 

No, brr, keep the cases down. 

Time travel grammar gets annoying fast. Or slow. It’s a matter of perspective. 

A blue bird landed near the edge.

“It’s not starting, Sally.”

The mole regarded him fondly. “So, what are you thinking Jay?”

_**Did you draw him? Did you draw Jay? Oh, wow, that’s awesome, that’s a perfect portrait.** _

_**It's Jay alright. Okay I’ll go on.**_

“The tear is there. Well tear, that’s a bad name. It’s not a “rift” per se. Hmm. More of a bleed? A spill? Anyway, now both sides run on a shared area of entangled time, which means entangled space. You see where this is going right?” Jay said.

“It’s nice that you’ve had an insight, and the lab rats will love it, but for now… ...just pretend I don’t see where you’re going with this.” Sally trusted the Jaybird with her life, but when it came to the science of things he did go on a bit.

“Ok. Let me first say, and I apologise, let me in an annoying voice say ‘That’s the problem!’ ‘Mam!’ . And _then_ let me be constructive. I’m sorry.’”

“It’s fine Jay, apology accepted."

“Ok. Helpful. Now. Imagine a Venn Diagram. Particularly I want you to imagine the place in the middle...”

“Where all three circles cover the same area?”

“Yeah, exactly, so -” Jay yawned.

“Do you want some tea?”

“Sure, yeah.” the blue bird yawned. “Shit I’m spent. I’ve been going back and forth. And strenuous as the flying has been, it’s scary how easy it has become to _pass through_."

“Because of the Venn Diagram?”

“Well yeah. In a way -”

“Back up for one second. Now to _my_ knowledge we have ‘here’ and we have ‘over there’. Those are the two concerns of the day, aren’t they? Now I’m not a scientist like you, but I’m pretty sure that two circles do not a Venn make. That’s just tw _o_ circles intersecting.”

“Ah, yes, about that. Thing is. Chloe the human said something very interesting - ” 


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 5**

_Where anti-semitic mice plays no part._

  
  


_**Katie, isn’t it a bit of a stretch to keep doing these “when I wasn’t there”-stuff. I mean what they were talking about? Ok, fine you are right. They did. Can I see the drawings?**_

_**I mean wow. And wow again -**_ _ **your**_ _ **pictures of the animals! It’s just you make them so fu-,**_ _ **so da-**_ _ **I mean you make them**_ **really** _**cute!**_ _ **Yeah, but she’d say “wowser” of course.**_

_**Ok, sure, yeah, I’ll get**_ _ **back to**_ _ **it.**_ _ **Hmm. Yeah. No. No it’s ok.**_

_**You are amazing at this. You are. No you are. But you are.**_

Des is standing by the Tobanga chewing on a surprisingly juicy morsel from one of the dorm rooms, when something stirs in the totem pole's shadow. Des screams and barely keeps from inhaling parts of her food. An almost invisible deer is looking at her.

“ What the hell Reg?! You scared the living daylights out of me! I could have choked to death on this… ....whatever it is.” 

Reg looked abashed “I’m sorry.”

“It’s really tasty whatever it is. But that’s beside the point! That was a close call! You know that mice are antiemetic. Or is it non-emetic? One of those!”

_**Oh can you make Reg look like Max? Pleasepleaseplease. YAY, you be the bestest. Huh, what? Oooh, so now you’re cocky, too?**_

“Hey, I’m sorry, I didn't mean to… ...wait, back up, what do you mean you’re anti-Semitic? You don’t like Jews? You do know Jay is Jewish?”

“What? No! Anti-emetic! Not anti-Semitic! 

It’s probably non-emetic though...”

“What does it mean then?”

“It means we, mice, can’t throw up.”

“Oh. Hmm. Well, I really am sorry though. I didn’t mean to creep up on you, honest. It’s just all this” indicating the surroundings. “It’s like, well, to be honest it’s all making me a bit see-through and I really don’t mean to, but I also get like extra silent sometimes…” she sighed. “ I could have cleared my throat or something though, I guess.”

“Well” said Des “you’re having a rough time and yousort of can’t help it. Apology accepted.” they smirked at each other.

“Sally explained it. It’s all somehow because our ‘here’ is overlapping with their ‘over there’ - it’s messing with time. And me. Oh, and there’s something called it a wendigram.”

“Is that like their version of a wendigo?”

“Yeah. I think it’s the reason some can see ‘over there’. And why I am so transparent.”

“You’ve always been transparent.” Des grinned.

“Shush, you. Anyway, I had stopped listening by then. I know it’s really important and often really interesting, but she does _go on!_ A saint would have a hard time giving her the attention she deserves!” 

Des could only nod at this however much she loved the old mole.

“One thing is for sure though.” Des said with conviction.

“What?”

“I _really_ hope we don’t have to fight the Wendigram.”

“Amen to that. ...wait - is the top of your head blue?”

“...mm, yeah.”

“Why? I mean it looks nice.”

“Honestly? Thanks. I thought so too. Chloe the human made me think of it.” 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 6**

_In which a rousing speech moves people and stuff._

  
  


Sally took her place on the stage, stepped in to the spotlight and cleared her throat. To the side a badger (whose name was Hugh) took his place next to big big bronze bell. And the mole spoke with a voice clear and stronger than you’d ever expect from such a diminutive frame:

“You wonderful people. Each one of you is unique.” the mole looked out over the assembled animals. “You all know what we have to do. You know it will be hard. It will be Unpleasant. And it will be dangerous. We will meet here again in the sunrise, but I cannot promise when or where _here_ will be. Neither can I promise anyone of you, that you will be here, nor that you’ll be alive or even exist!”

For a second you could hear leaves rustling in the wind - and then she continued.

“But I CAN promise you that we will PREVAIL! Thanks to you, your family will be safe. Your lovers and friends will survive! Thanks to you.”

“Tonight, we do not fight just for _our_ _own_ survival! We are fighting for life! We are fighting for time - for time; and time again, for our home, our _place_!“

The roar from the gathered crowd was loud, it wasn’t deafening, but in some cases it came dangerously close.

“FOR ARCADIA!”

The mole answered with all her might:

“FOR THE BAY!”

And Hugh started tolling the bell. And the bell rang out over the animals and into the night. And the mole shouted: “FOR THE BAY!”

“FOR ARCADIA! FOR THE BAY!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 7**

_In which laughing hurts._

  
  


_**I don’t feel good Kate. Yeah. I need… I don’t know what I need. I’ll try to sleep.**_

_**But Kate? You know how I was saying they got it right? The tiny animals? They were, they were speaking…**_

_**...they solved it – Yes I will sleep. I will sleep now. But Kate? There didn’t have to be any storm. You know, after? And no one had to die. No one. She… she could come back. Back from the future. Heh heh.**_

_**Ow, that hurts. The laughing. But you know? You know what?** _

_**I was writing with you… What? No I’m fine! I** _ **am** _**calm.** _

_**I feel woozy.**_

_**You know...** _ _**...** _ _**s** _ _**he shouldn’t use th** _ _**at** _ _**word.** _ _**At all.** _ _**It’s like** _ _**“hella”!** _ _**Not “hella”, that’s** _ _**just w** _ _**rong.** _ _**H** _ _**ow** _ _**she says it.**_

 _**But. But Kate. Kate? It just ...unfolded. It was word for word like what Jay the jaybird said. It was just different** _ **circles _._**

_**I’M NOT SCREAMING.**_

_**Am I?** _ _**Sorry.**_

_**But do you know that I kissed my girlfriend on the nose.** _

_**And I scowled at her, like this, see?** _

_**Because she’s silly.** _

_**No, no, she is. Really silly.**_

_**Sleep? I know, sleep sleep, blah blah.**_

_**She kissed the me. Or was that the other me.** _

_**The one over theeere.** _

_**She’ll kiss all the me,** _ _**you know,** _ _**all of the** _ **mees** _**.** _

_**All the gorgeous mees,** _

_**will kiss all the gorgeous shees.**_

_**I’m gorgeous Kate did you know that?** _

_**Kate? I know what I need now.** _

_**I think I need a bucket.**_

_**That wasn’t very gorgeous of me.** _

_**Heh heh.**_

_**Ouch. Laughing hurts.** _

_**Why does the laughing hurt Katie?** _


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 8**

_In which, later, when I turn my head, she is there again._

_Just like she used to be._

  
  


I’m onna couch, I think, I’m watching my fiance rifling through her camera bag, until she gets her camera out and then the Venn Diagram she drew up with over-there-Chloe. The spirit animals got the solution, I mean the only thing that was different was that _I_ told them about the storm. I know. I’m great. The best probably. That was all the mole , the jaybird and the lab rats needed -

Now I feel woozy again.

_**We should have realised. Katie -** _

_**No we should, no, no, see, listen: we should have** _ **realised.**

_**No but we got stuck… I know but see, they had two… But no storm. “When is a storm a circle?”. I don’t know. It’s a riddle!** _

_**Sorry. It’s just. Well. You know, right?**_

_**W** _ **e had** _**“the** _ _**storm”** _ _**. But not - we… we didn’t have the, umm.** _ _**T** _ _**he** _ _**other** _ _**thing. Roundy thing.**_

_**The other circle! The - I don’t - I can’t!**_

_**I feel woozy again Katie.** _

_**Thank you. For helping me.** _

_**I’m tired. So tired.**_

_**Why is there a blue butterfly?** _

_**What?** _

_**It’s on your face. Silly.**_

_**Yeah, sleep. Sleep sounds good.** _

_**You take care of me. You do? Thank you.** _

_**I’m gonna try sleeping now. It’s all the rage.** _

_**Or so they say.** _

_**Oh, hi Max, are you here too? I’m gonna sleep now.** _

_**Im… Umm.**_

_**I’m sorry it took so long Max.** _

_**I’m sorry. But I am.**_

“ _It doesn’t matter babe. Everything is fine now. We’re together and everything is fine.”_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 9**

_Max_

  
  


There was a butterfly over here

as well as over there

but there was only ever one Max

there were two sides

to every Max

of which there was only one

everyone Max

saved Chloe in the bathroom

one Max in a world 

where the storm came

and killed all those people

another part of the same Max lived in

a world with no storm

there was only ever one Max

One Max by Chloe in the lighthouse

One Max in a world of strange happenings

One Max where the storm is raging

One Max in a world with no storm

a world where no Max ever saved

my sorry ass

_**Yeah, um, I thought that maybe, after the cute animals and everything, I could end with this poem?**_

_**Yup, the one I wrote before. What do you think? Really? It’s not too - ?** _

**_No it’s not. Well of course_ _you_** **_do._**

_**Yes. I know. Sorry. Old hobbits. Yeah a bit.**_

_**Okay, I’ll put it in. You’re the best.**_

_**Me too. I mean I do too. Love you I mean.**_

_**O**_ _**h.** _

_**Shit.** _

_**I love you.** _

_**Sorry. [laughter] but it just - BAM!** _

  
  


_**I love you. I really, really for reals love you.** _


	12. Chapter 12

**Epilogue**

_In which we visit dad._

“Hi dad.

_It’s a warm summer day, there is short grass and the sound of sprinklers._

“Do you want to be alone with him?”

“No it’s fine. 

Let’s hang all three today.”

 _There are bumblebees and the smell of lilacs. I can’t think of anything to say, which makes me sad. I know she feels_ _it because I feel her squeeze my hand._

_The wind brings the scent of warm manure from a nearby farm._

_We stand there, I don’t know how long. My mood shifts_ _and I find some words._

“If there is a hereafter. And I think there might be, because I’ve seen some weird shit so why not that? Anyway if there is I hope you’re taking care of each other.”

_I feel my tears start falling, as usual. But through the tears I see a ladybug land on his gravestone._

_It makes me laugh._

“You’re gonna make me draw a ladybug soldier when we get home, right?” 

“Heh. You know me too well.”

_She looks at me._

“I think that was her, the lady bug. Being here for you, today. She knew you needed it.”

“Now you made me start crying again.”

“Well tough.”

_We both laugh. And cry._

“Yeah, I needed it. I’ve been missing her a lot lately.”

“I know honey, I know.”

_We hug._

_I cry more._

_I wipe my tears._

_She holds me._

_I feel the warmth_

_from her and from the sun._

“Well, I guess we better get going, we should try to get there before the sitter leaves.”

“You are as wise as you are beautiful.” 

_I say, with the voice of a constipated poet._

_She scrunches her face, and answers with a solemn voice._

“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”

“Scripture? Really? To my face? I’m shocked! Shocked I tell you!” 

“Heathen.”

_She smiles_

_and I kiss her on the cheek._

_She smells like suntan and dust._

“I want ice-cream.” I grin.

“I’m married to a child.”

“But you luuve me.” _I say, pouting._

_Her disapproving look holds for all of four seconds, before she cracks up._

“God help me, I do.”

_And there are rustlings, of leaves. And there are pink clouds. And there is the sound of an out-of-gas lawn mower being dragged over asphalt._

_And there is, in the end, ice-cream._

**Author's Note:**

> Hokay. So I've worked on this a bit and it was written as a comfy one-piece to begin with. I mean it is, but this is my first thingie so I'm a-gonna split it into chapters anyway. That means that a bunch of chapters are super short like the prologue and one of them is reaally long and so on. It clocks in at about 7k words total. So. I'll work this out. Probably.
> 
> In the meantime, here you go. First fic ever, fun times.
> 
> Thanks to Ipomia and Maeve for Beta.


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